SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Clinical Outcomes Among Limited English Proficiency Patients With Covid-19

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This study examined whether Limited English Proficiency (LEP) independently affects outcomes in adults hospitalized with COVID-19. Using a retrospective cohort of patients admitted between February 2020 and August 2022, researchers defined LEP by self-reported non-English language or interpreter use and compared outcomes including in-hospital mortality, length of stay, ICU length of stay, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor use.<br /><br />The unadjusted data suggested that patients with LEP had worse outcomes than English-proficient patients. However, after adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidities (Elixhauser score), insurance, zip code, and admission level of care, LEP was not independently associated with mortality or most other major outcomes. The adjusted odds ratio for mortality was 0.95 (95% CI 0.47–1.98), and there were no significant adjusted differences in hospital length of stay, ICU days, or mechanical ventilation. Vasopressor use showed a borderline association.<br /><br />The authors conclude that the poorer outcomes seen among LEP patients were largely explained by pre-existing risk factors such as older age, higher comorbidity burden, and greater illness severity rather than language status itself. This differs from prior findings in sepsis, where LEP was independently associated with worse mortality. The authors suggest that the care barriers created by the COVID-19 pandemic, including socially distanced care, may have reduced disparities that would otherwise be driven by communication barriers.

Asset Subtitle

Nishita Nigam

Meta Tag

Author List Catherine Y. Lau, Kirsten N. Kangelaris, Lev Malevanchik, Nishita Nigam, Priya A. Prasad, Sandra Oreper, Yumiko Abe-Jones, Zachary G. Jacobs

Category Research

Concept Limited English Proficiency

Concept Clinical Outcome

Concept Mortality

Concept Confounding Factor

Concept Retrospective Cohort Study

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Ucsf

Presenting Author Nishita Nigam

Track Outcomes Research

Keywords

Limited English Proficiency

LEP

COVID-19 hospitalization

retrospective cohort

in-hospital mortality

length of stay

ICU length of stay

mechanical ventilation

vasopressor use

health disparities

Limited English Proficiency

Clinical Outcome

Mortality

Confounding Factor

Retrospective Cohort Study